Do you remember the Macedonian call in Acts 16? Through it God made a “divine appointment” for the Apostle Paul to bring the good news of Jesus Christ there. Today, God continues to call his Church and his people in many ways to serve those who need help and the hope that only he can give. Volunteers from World Renew Disaster Response Services (DRS) recently answered one of those calls to LaPlace, Louisiana, where Earline Wilson was praying faithfully for God to make a way to provide for her needs.

The residents of LaPlace were hit hard by Hurricane Isaac in August 2012. Although many of those whose homes were damaged have received some assistance since then from the government and other agencies to make their houses habitable, they often still need of significant repairs to make them livable from day to day. Earline Wilson was one of these homeowners.

Thanks be to God who hears our prayers and ministers to us through his people, the Church, when we call, “Come over here and help us!”

When a World Renew DRS work team arrived to provide the help she prayed for, Wilson and her two granddaughters warmly welcomed the volunteers into their home and lives. Her older mobile home, perched next to a levee on the Mississippi River, was damaged by torrential rain that fell during the slow-moving storm last August.

“The Wilsons received funding from the federal government to help them recover, and they had a new roof put on their home after Isaac destroyed the old one,” said Metha Alberda, an on-site manager for World Renew DRS. “That allowed the family to stay in their home for the time being. But when the long-term recovery group in LaPlace referred DRS to her, Earline’s house still needed a lot of work.” 

The team got busy making the needed repairs, fixing the waterline under the kitchen sink, putting up drywall, painting, and installing trim. They also gave the bathroom a much-needed remodel, replacing the subfloor as well as the sink, bathtub, and toilet. “I think the carpet was about the only thing holding them up,” Alberda said.

Not only were the homeowner and volunteers working side by side each day, they were also developing strong bonds as they shared their lives and faith. “Every morning when we arrived at her house, Earline joined us for prayer to start the day,” Alberda said. “By the time the second week came around, she and her granddaughters joined the volunteers for supper at our lodging. After we ate, she shared her testimony, praising God for his goodness in hearing her prayer for help.” It’s hard to tell who was more blessed that night, the Wilson family or the volunteers who heard their story.

There are many other families in LaPlace who, like Earline Wilson and her granddaughters, are in need of help and hope. You make it possible to answer that call with your gift to World Renew DRS.

Please give to Hurricanes 2012 today by clicking here. 

~ by Beth DeGraff, World Renew Communications